Table for application to chairs.



R. 0. JOHNSON. TABLE FOR APPLICATION TO CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911.

1,008,037. Patented Nov.?, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

R. G. JOHNSON. TABLE FOR APPLIGATIQN T0 CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911.

1,008,037. Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' vl InvenTor:

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

ROBERT CRA'WFORD JOHNSON, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

TABLE FOR- APPLICATION TO CHAIRS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT CRAwroRn JOHNSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 2 London road, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tables for Application to Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tables adapted for application to the arms of easy chairs.

A table constructed according to my invention is provided with clip members designed to be placed over the arms of a chair and to grip on to the same, the said members being capable of sufficient movement to allow of the table being applied to chairs the arms of which are at varying distances apart.

The table has upon it a frame to which a book-rest is hinged, and which frame is ca pable of being pushed backward and forward, and also of being rotated so as to allow of its being placed in any desired position upon the table according to the wish of the user.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, I will describe-the same by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a rear view of my improved table, the book-rest being shown in the raised position. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an underside view of the said table, and Fig. 4 is a plan view with the book-rest removed from the ad justable frame which carries it. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the arrangement of a detail, and Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively an elevation and an underside view illustrating a modification.

0; indicates the table and b the frame which carries the book-rest 0. This frame is provided with a slot 0* and is adapted to slide beneath the flanges (Z of a plate al fixed to a flanged pivot e, which is arranged in a circular hole in the table, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, so as to allow of the frame 6 being rotated with relation to the table to place it at any angle that may be desired by the user, and at the same time the frame can be pushed backward and forward beneath the flanged plate (Z.

The book-rest c is attached to hinges f, f on the end of arms 6 b 'with which the frame I) is provided, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4E. The book-rest is supported. at any Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18, 1911.

Serial No. 628,120.

desired angle by a pair of struts g, g which are pivoted at one end to the underside of the book-rest, and at the other end to a block 71, which slides on a guide-rod 2' extending longitudinally of the slot 0* and carried in suitable bearings in the frame I). This block it carries a spring pawl and the rod 2' has formed at one side of it a series of ratchet teeth 70 with which the said pawl engages in order to support the book-rest at any desired angle. When raising the book-rest the teeth of the pawl slip over the teeth of the rack Z0, but to lower the bookrest I provide for turning the rod 2' so as to disengage the teeth is from the pawl. For this purpose I arrange upon the end of the rod 2', whichv end is at the edge of the table at which the user will sit, a lever handle Z, a helical spring m being arranged around the rod 2' so that when the latter is turned to disengage the ratchet teeth from the pawl j it will be coiled slightly, and, by its reaction, cause the said teeth to again engage with the pawl when the lever handle is released.

On the end of the rod 6, most remote from the lever handle Z, is a catch n, designed, when the book-rest c is lowered on to the table, to engage with a hook 0 on the back of the book-rest to hold the latter down. The book-rest c carries a movable section 0 which slides between the side sections, the latter being united by bars 0 0 on one of which the hook 0, hereinbefore referred to, is formed. The back of the sliding section 0 has a rack 79 of ratchet teeth fixed to it, with which rack a pawl p engages, the said pawl being carried by a spindle p operated by a finger-lever 29 in conjunction with which a spring 10 1s arranged for normally holding the pawl 79 in engagement with the said rack, pressure upon the lever serving to disengage the pawl against the action of the said spring.

The lower part of the sliding section 0 carries a book-ledge Q, which is hinged so as. to allow of its bemg turned 1nto a recess q in the said sliding section when not re quired for use. When the shelf or bookledge q is turned flush with the surface of the sliding section and the sliding section itself is in its normal position inthe bookrest, projections g on the lower bar-"0 serve to support the said book-ledge 'rri t heevent of pressure being applied thereto: in any manner.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

r, r are the clips for clipping over the arms A, A, of a chair, indicated in Figs. 1. and '2 by full and dotted lines; these clips are pivotally connected at r to frames .9, s sliding in guides 25 beneath the table a, the said guides being inclined relatively to the table as indicated in Fig. 3 so that the clips, when turned into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, will fit the splayed arms of a chair. When the table is not in use. the clips r are folded up, as indicated in Fig. 3 and by the full lines in Fig. l.

u, u are handles on the frames 8, to enable the latter to be adjusted in the guides t to the chair arms A, the said clips being loclu-zd in the adjusted position by means of rackbars 7), 1 similar to the rack-bar 'i, the said rack-bars being carried in hearings on the frames 5 and being engaged by spring pawls 0 attached to blocks o on the table a, which blocks also serve as guides for the rackbars '0. The rack-bars w are also provided with lever handles o and springs 2 respectively similar to the lever handle Z and spring m hereinbefore described, so that by turning the lever handles '0 the rack-bars a can be disengaged from the pawls e and the frames 8, s drawn out of the guides 15 to any required position.

The clips 9* are formed with lugs 1' adjacent to their pivots 1' which lugs act as stops against the frames 8 and prevent the said clips from moving beyond a position at right-angles to the table a when moi ed into position for use, and in order that the said clips shall be automatically folded beneath the table when the frames 3 are pushed within the guides 15 as far as they will go, campieces 10 are attached to the underside of the table a against which cam-pieces extensions 10 on one of the pivots of each clip come into contact, and cause the clip to turn into the folded position, as indicated clearly in Fig. 6.

The ends a of the table a are preferably hinged to the central or main part so that they can be folded on to the top of the latter as indicated by the dotted lines in 1, the said ends being connected to the said main part by, for instance, double hinged plates 0 so that they are raised above the said main part in order to lie flush with the book-rest 0 when the latter is folded down on to the table, the said ends a being provided wit-h upwardly extending bosses x which support the outer edge of the said ends in the folded position.

Instead of the frames 8 being arranged to be locked when adjusted as hereinbefore described, I may arrange them so that they are pressed into contact with the arms of the chair by means of springs; this arrangement is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the said frames each advantageously comprising bars 8 s sliding in guides 8 s beneath the table av and connected at their outer ends by a cross bar 8 helical springs 3 being arranged around the bars 8 between the guides s and the bar .9 In this arrangement the clips 2 are shown as adapted to engage with par-- allel chair arms but they may be arranged, as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6, to engage with splayed arms.

Claims.

1. A combined table and book rest comprising a table, provided with means to frictionally engage the outer sides of the arms of chairs of different widths, a frame pivotally mounted on said table, a book rest mounted on said frame, said frame being capable of turning upon and sliding along said table, and said book rest being capable of adjustment at different angles.

2. The combination with a table of sliding adjustable frames on its underside, guides for the said frames, clips hinged to the frames, the said table and clips being designed to be placed across and engage with the arms of a chair and means for looking the clips when adjusted, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a table of sliding adjustable frames on its underside, guides for the said frame, clips hinged to the said guides, the said table and clips being designed to be placed across and engage with the arms of a chair and springs for pressing the clips in one direction, substantially as described.

4. A combined table and book rest comprising a table, a frame pivotally mounted on said table, a guide rod mounted in suitable bearings on said frame, a block adapted to slide on said guide rod, a book rest hinged to said frame, and a plurality of struts pivotally connected to said book rest and said block whereby the book rest may be adjusted.

5. A table and book rest adapted to be secured to the arms of a chair, comprising a table, a frame mounted on said table, a guide rod mounted in bearings on said frame and provided on one side with ratchet teeth, a block adapted to slide on said guide rod and being provided with a pawl, a book rest hingedly connected to said frame, struts pivotally connected to said book rest and to said block, the said book rest being held in adjusted positions by means of the pawl which engages the ratchet teeth on said guide rod.

6. A combined table and book rest adapted to be secured to the arms of a chair, comprising a table, a book rest mounted upon a suitable support on one side of said table, a plurality of clips on the other side of said table said clips adapted to be folded against the underside of the table or to be unfolded to embrace the arms of a chair, means to adjust the position of said clips, and means for securing the clips in their adjusted positions.

7. A combined table and book rest comprising a table, a book rest mounted upon a suitable support on one side of said table, a plurality of guides fixed to the other side of said table, a plurality of frames adapted to slide in said guides, clips pivotally connected to said frames, and means for seouring the frames in diflerent positions.

8. A table having frames underneath the same, provided with clips pivoted thereto for engaging the outer sides of the arms of a chair, said frames being movable inwardly and outwardly to engage the arms of chairs of different widths.

9. A table having frames underneath the same, provided with clips pivoted thereto for engaging the outer sides of the arms of a chair, said frames being movable inwardly and outwardly to engage the arms of chairs of difierent widths and means for retaining said frames in a desired position.

ROBERT CRAWFORD JOHNSON.

Witnesses JOHN E. BoNsFIELD, C. G. REDFERN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

